Rheinallt Jones PhD
- Department of Pediatrics
Associate Professor
- (404) 727-7231
- rjones5@emory.edu
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Emory University
Department of Pediatrics
615 Michael St
Overview
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. My research focus is to discover new therapies for the treatment of Digestive Diseases. My goal is to discover highly efficacious beneficial bacteria known as probiotics that can be administered to treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). We employ germ-free and gnotobiotic animal models in a reductionist approach to identify novel beneficial bacteria. I am also the Director of the Emory Gnotobiotic Animal Core.
Academic Appointment
- Assistant Professor, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Emory University School of Medicine
- Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Emory University
Education
Degrees
- PhD from University of Wales, Bangor
- BSc from The Nottingham Trent University
Research
Focus
- My research focuses on the interactions between bacteria and human epithelia or macrophages in an effort to understand the molecular mechanisms evolved by pathogens to evade innate immunity. Some bacteria, including Salmonella, secrete "effector" proteins that inhibit innate immunity thus allowing the pathogen to chronically persist within the human host.
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Host-cell and Commensal Microbe interaction
The intestinal microbiota is increasingly recognized as an important actor in a variety of normal host physiological events including immune, homeostatic, and behavioral processes. By extension, a dysbiosis of this relationship may lead to the initiation and progression of host pathological disease conditions. Despite this well-established influence of the microbiota on human health, there is still a critical gap in our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms by which the microbiota influences gut health. The long term goal of my research group is to identify the bacterial community structure, the microbial products, and the cellular signaling pathways that mediate the influences of the microbiota on human health. The current goal of the lab is to identify how perturbations to the microbiota influence intestinal stem cell (ISC) turnover, differentiation and gut epithelial barrier integrity. In our approach, we utilize a wide variety of methodologies including both mouse and Drosophila model systems, as well as sequence based microbiota analysis. Importantly, we have the capacity to raise germ-free mice and flies, and gnotobiotically monoassociated them with either candidate symbiotic bacteria, with a defined group of bacteria, or with purified bacterial proteins and products. Ultimately, the goal is to develop deliberate manipulation of the microbiota as a therapeutic strategy to ameliorate symptoms resulting from digestive diseases.
Publications
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The Microbial Metabolite -Valerobetaine Strengthens the Gut Epithelial Barrier.
Am J Pathol
03/22/2025 Authors: Askew LC; Gacasan CA; Barbian ME; Weinberg J; Luo L; Robinson BS; Jones DP; Scharer CD; Jones RM -
Microbial Changes Occurring During Oronasal Fistula Wound Healing.
Microorganisms Volume: 13
02/02/2025 Authors: Goudy SL; Bradley HL; Gacasan CA; Toma A; Sekar KPC; Wuest WM; Tomov M; Serpooshan V; Coskun A; Jones RM -
Dietary fiber promotes antigen presentation on intestinal epithelial cells and development of small intestinal CD4+CD8+ intraepithelial T cells.
Mucosal Immunol Volume: 17 Page(s): 1301 - 1313
12/01/2024 Authors: Rodriguez-Marino N; Royer CJ; Rivera-Rodriguez DE; Seto E; Gracien I; Jones RM; Scharer CD; Gracz AD; Cervantes-Barragan L -
Gender-affirming hormone therapy preserves skeletal maturation in young mice via the gut microbiome.
J Clin Invest Volume: 134
03/26/2024 Authors: Pal S; Morgan X; Dar HY; Gacasan CA; Patil S; Stoica A; Hu Y-J; Weitzmann MN; Jones RM; Pacifici R -
A high fiber diet or supplementation with Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris to pregnant mice confers protection against intestinal injury in adult offspring.
Gut Microbes Volume: 16 Page(s): 2337317
01/01/2024 Authors: Barbian ME; Owens JA; Naudin CR; Denning P; Patel RM; Jones RM -
Fecal microbiota transplantation promotes reduction of antimicrobial resistance by strain replacement.
Sci Transl Med Volume: 15 Page(s): eabo2750
11/01/2023 Authors: Woodworth MH; Conrad RE; Haldopoulos M; Pouch SM; Babiker A; Mehta AK; Sitchenko KL; Wang CH; Strudwick A; Ingersoll JM -
Microbial Changes occurring during oronasal fistula wound healing.
bioRxiv
06/06/2023 Authors: Goudy SL; Bradley H; Gacasan CA; Toma A; Naudin CR; Wuest WM; Tomov M; Serpooshan V; Coskun A; Jones RM -
Intestinal barrier dysfunction in murine sickle cell disease is associated with small intestine neutrophilic inflammation, oxidative stress, and dysbiosis.
FASEB Bioadv Volume: 5 Page(s): 199 - 210
05/01/2023 Authors: Lewis CV; Sellak H; Sawan MA; Joseph G; Darby TM; VanInsberghe D; Naudin CR; Archer DR; Jones RM; Taylor WR -
Callus T cells and microbe-induced intestinal Th17 cells improve fracture healing in mice.
J Clin Invest Volume: 133
04/17/2023 Authors: Dar HY; Perrien DS; Pal S; Stoica A; Uppuganti S; Nyman JS; Jones RM; Weitzmann MN; Pacifici R -
Butyrate supplementation during pregnancy reduces injury in murine model of neonatal intestinal Inflammmation
Volume: 365 Page(s): S322 - S322
02/01/2023 Authors: Barbian ME; Naudin C; Patel RM; Denning P; Jones R